Stock height 1st gen 4runner springs

[Sundodger]

I don't want to lift my 1988 4runner, I just want some factory height springs that will not sag. I recently replaced my sagging OEM springs with a set of factory replacements from http://www.sdtrucksprings.com/ for $150.

Once I dropping my truck by on the ground after I installed them it was clear that wasn't going to work; they were flat and the rear end was sagging. Going back and forth for a while with SD they gave up and want me to return them for a refund.


There are a couple other online places, but my fear is the same thing will happen. A local spring shop will re-arch and add an extra leaf, which is far from my ideal even before the pricy cost (they do the installation to dial in the ride height, so labor ends up driving up the cost).


What other options are there?

Anyone out there find a supplier that has good factory height springs (I would be ok with it being maybe 1 inch higher in the rear unladen)? I can't be the only one in the world that wants good OEM ride height spring replacements…

 

[tanglefoot]

The 1st-gen 4runner has the rear "sag" designed in. It's a tribute to the stance of the baja pre-runners, with the high-cut front fenders. Although it's frequently seen as sag, this is how they were designed and manufactured. It's part of the 4runner design heritage.



The original rear springs (and fronts on the '84-85) are pretty flat, even when new.

I've found a long add-a-leaf to be pretty effective for adding arch. I put in a pair of the Pro Comp AALs from Four Wheel Parts. They've been in there for over 10 years and have still been holding their arch. Most other springs will add too much arch. It's easy to end up with too much rake, if using fenderwells as a guide, since the front fenders are cut so much higher than the back. A 4runner with a stinkbug stance looks pretty ridiculous.

 

[Sundodger]

Well, when the sag starts affecting safety, that's an issue. I just want to get it back to OEM specs.
They are so close to the bumpstops that in jounce they can hit, which means infinite spring rate, which means snap oversteer.
Even when the truck is completely unladed; the shackles are at such an aggressive angle and the main springs are completely on the overloads which givens terrible ride even when it doesn't hit the bumpstops.

Called another local spring company and they quoted over $500 to have them made. Ouch.

I am thinking of getting some aftermarket springs and removing a leaf. Anyone else try that?

 

[tanglefoot]

How are your shocks? Jounce is not something these trucks are known for. With decent shocks, jumping up and down on the back bumper might net ~1" of compression.

I'm curious about the strange shackle angle. Are the shackles angled too far forward or back? Are the springs you have on now stock length? The stock springs don't have a lot of arch--they're pretty neutral, so shackle angles shouldn't be very dramatic, but an angle toward the back of ~30 deg is pretty normal.

Removing a leaf from an aftermarket pack isn't always very easy, and it may put you right back where you are now.

Are the ends of the overloads in contact with the others when at rest? I still recommend some add-a-leaves to give the main packs more arch. These are the ones I put in:

http://www.4wheelparts.com/Lift-Kit...af.aspx?t_c=1&t_s=101&t_pt=5488&t_pn=EXP13120

I wouldn't spend any money quite yet though. There may be something else going on. Can you post a picture of the pack and shackles at rest on level ground?

 

[AxleIke]

Add a leaf is an option, or that in combo with a slightly longer shackle. Other than that, people do the "Zuk mod". You add a "helper" spring to the leaf pack by putting a coil between bumpstop and bumpstop pad, or you make a bucket for the center. Lots of links of various ways to do it with and without welding

Not my cup o tea personally, but it seems to work very well:

http://www.gearinstalls.com/

Scroll down to the bottom where the links are talking about coils

 

[JAvendan]

yes, the Zuk Mod is very popular.

find a set of coil springs that fit over the bump stop and then you can remove any extra coils to reduce the height.

i thought was going to do that but ended up with aftermarket rear springs and had to add spacers to the front to get it closer to the height of the rear.

joel

Add a leaf is an option, or that in combo with a slightly longer shackle. Other than that, people do the "Zuk mod". You add a "helper" spring to the leaf pack by putting a coil between bumpstop and bumpstop pad, or you make a bucket for the center. Lots of links of various ways to do it with and without welding

Not my cup o tea personally, but it seems to work very well:

http://www.gearinstalls.com/

Scroll down to the bottom where the links are talking about coils

 

[Sundodger]

Brand new bilsteins, put them in with the SD springs and new rearend a few months ago.
I have a similar shackle angle on both my worn out OEM springs and the SD replacements. Both packs rest completely on the overloads with unladen on level ground. I will try and get some pictures to post up.

I ran a zuk mod of sorts (Used ford mustang springs) when I had the OEM springs in there. It was ok, better than sagging springs, but articulation was nonexistent and it was a bit too much spring rate.

I have thought about welding adjustable spring perches in the center so I can run a single 2.5” spring, that would allow me to get some extra spring rate/ride height and not affect articulation too much, but the honest truth is I would really like to keep it simple and just have some nice OEM replacement springs, that shouldn't be too much to ask for, but…

 

[Sundodger]

So to follow up…


Hopefully this will help others doing searches in the future. I purchased a set of “factory replacement” leaf springs from Northwest Off-Road Specialties.

I know some people haven't had the best of luck with that company, but after talking to the tech on the phone he seemed to be competent so I gave them a shot. They billed these as factory replacements that deal with the design issues associated with factory leaf springs. Also claimed they have a bit higher load rating.


First off, wow, these things are pricy. By the time you have delivery and tax they were almost $600.


They are the same configuration as the stock springs (three leafs then an overload). Their free arch is a bit less than my old OEM springs, but more than the SD springs (this mildly concerned me). Spring stack is overall thicker, spring rate seems higher too. It seems they are using thicker leafs (and a thicker spacer) than OEM. I am betting that's where the gain in load rating and stiffness is coming from.


When I go to swap in and find that the factory U-bolts were now not long enough, the center pin needs to be ground down more to clear the bumpstop, and the top spacer isn't long enough to properly seat the ubolts.


I call up NWORS and they claim yes I need them, and they are almost $80. Ouch, not only pricy, but it would have been handy if they had told me when I ordered the springs. The tech promised they were very high quality for the price and they were, for the most part. Rolled threads, Cad or yellow zinc plated, nuts that were double the thread engagement, and super thick washers. The bad; they formed the middle part of the “U” too wide and I had to bend them further to get them into the holes of the spring plates. So close…


I swap the spacer for the ones off my OEM spring packs to fix the U bolt seating issue.


I got them in and the ride height is just about right. It's nice to have it at proper height again, and having a decent and safe ride. They are a bit stiff, so I might end up needing a bit more shock, but much less stiff than my zuk mod that I ran with OEM springs. Haven't really worked them yet, but I have high hopes that they will be a good jack of all trades (master of none) for daily driving, hauling stuff, logging roads, and offroading.

 

[Toyotero]

A person might simply try adding a leaf from a junkyard spring pack, just make sure they are the right width.

To fix the rear sag (sagged beyond the aesthetic lower fender opening height) in an 88 4Runner I had, I added a long leave from a LUV that was fairly arched and luckily got the perfect spring height. Before that I had a rough country add-a-leaf. It was about a 20 inch iron bar that rode terrible until they both broke, which was a surprise I didn't expect when I took the pack apart to add the long leaf to each pack.